Smoking Rates in the USA Dropped to 17%

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed data which shows that smoking rates among adult people in the USA reduced from 20.9% in 2005 to 17.8% in 2013.

The CDC’s Nation Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in 1965 started to record smoking rates prevalence among adults and the 2013 percetage is lowest of all times.

The latest report reveals that the number of cigarette smokers decreased from 45.1 million in 2005 to 42.1 million in 2013, despite the increasing population in the USA.

Tim McAfee, M.D., M.P.H., head of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, is happy with the latest data on smoking rates but says still more is to be done. Smoking rates can be even more lowered by implementing such strategies as raising prices on tobacco products, funding of tobacco control programs, adopting smoke-free policies, supporting and promoting anti-smoking campaigns.

Though report shows a significant drop in smoking rates, there is a need to help those who still smoke. Highest smoking rates are reported among next groups of Americans: males, vulnerable layers of society, among those with lower education, LGBT, American Indians and people with disabilities.

Among current cigarette smokers, the proportion of those who smoke on the daily basis reduced from 80.8% in 2005 to 76.9% in 2013. The proportion of smokers who smoke from time to time raised from 19.2% in 2005 to 23.1% in 2013. The number of cigarette used by regular smokers decreased from 16.7 in 2005 to 14.2 in 2013.

Brian King Ph.D., a senior scientific advisor with CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, told that today smokers use less cigarettes it is not beneficail for their health, because here better solution is total quitting. Quitting is good at any age.

However, the report shows that use of other forms of tobacco is not declining. Alarming is the fact that these products are quite popular among youth.

Surveys demonstrate that 70% of smokers in the USA want to quit for good.